Skyports Infrastructure, UI Helicopter Co., Ltd. and BETA Technologies have entered into a strategic partnership to establish electric air taxi services in South Korea, supporting the South Korean Government’s ambition to launch commercial AAM services by 2029.
Under the MoU, UI Helicopter has agreed to acquire up to 20 BETA aircraft, including the ALIA vertical take-off and landing aircraft (A250) and/or the ALIA conventional take-off and landing aircraft (CX300). Initial aircraft deliveries are targeted from 2029. UI Helicopter is a South Korean independent helicopter operator and MRO provider.
“Across the future AAM networks, Skyports will continue leading on identifying and assessing potential vertiport sites, planning and developing vertiport infrastructure, and supporting site validation,” said the company in a press release. Skyports has already laid the groundwork for a vertiport network on Jeju Island – first announced as a partnership with the Jeju Provincial Government in 2025 – which is expected to serve as the partnership’s first Korean network.
In addition, Skyports will oversee the planning and deployment of rapid charging infrastructure, including BETA’s rapid charging equipment, to support UI Helicopter’s future fleet.
Alongside its aircraft, BETA has developed and deployed one of the industry’s most extensive electric aviation charging networks, with 123 sites online across the United States and Canada. BETA’s interoperable fast-charging systems are designed to serve electric aircraft across manufacturers, and will form the backbone of the charging infrastructure Skyports deploys to support UI Helicopter’s future fleet in South Korea.
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(L-R: Yun Yuan Tay, Head of Asia Pacific, Skyports; Albert Rim, CEO, UI Helicopter; Patrick Buckles, Regional Head of Sales; BETA Technologies)